Making complexity work in practice

Issue title: Complex Socio-Technical Systems – Understanding and Influencing Causality of Change

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Beautement, Patrick

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: patrick@abacipartners.co.uk

Abstract: This chapter addresses causality in practice, not just in theory and starts by explaining the characteristics of practice. It then examines how, in social contexts, the complex networks of vested interests, power groupings, dynamic influences and community and cultural tensions can be identified and managed leading to there being perceptions of successful outcomes. Key to this is recognising how 'success' would be seen from the various perspectives and viewpoints and understanding, practically, the opportunities and limitations for intercepting and engaging with these complex motivations – even though, on paper, some appear to be contradictory or even incompatible. The chapter will describe a 'Landscape', inspired by complexity science, which is used to contrast two urban situations and to show how some of the outcomes and their consequences can be explained in causal terms. It concludes by suggesting developments needed to provide practitioners with a systematic approach to putting `complexity thinking' to work in practice.

Keywords: Complexity-worthiness, change, crisis, damascus, landscape of change, ludlow, practitioners

DOI: 10.3233/IKS-2012-0201

Journal: Information Knowledge Systems Management, vol. 10, no. 1-4, pp. 345-372, 2011